It is recognised that immediately following training, staff demonstrate higher levels of awareness, motivation and performance, but in time this may decline and bad habits may return to reduce the quality of the work. Suggestions for achieving commitment and maintaining momentum between training sessions are:

• Maintain regular communication with staff
• Be visible
• Use hospital newsletters, hospital intranet, informal teaching/lecturing sessions to promote e-Learning programmes and other learning opportunities
• Set up a network of interested individuals in clinical areas to help disseminate information
• Make sure that protocols and guidelines are available to all the people that should be using them
• Use early feedback to clinical areas of transfusion events or reactions, and lessons learned
• Encourage trainees/learners to provide feedback on training

Implementing a transfusion training and education programme can be very challenging. Finance and facilities may be inadequate to meet the training needs of a large diverse group of staff. Strong and sustained support from management, backed with resources for necessary people and materials is essential.

Table 10.3 Teaching methods

Triangle of knowledge/ clinical skills competence/performance (Adapted from Miller 1980)